NORMAL - A 28-year-old Bloomington man is being held in lieu of $500,000 on armed violence and drug charges after a raid by Normal police turned up loaded guns and drugs in a Bloomington apartment, as well as another surprise: four pipe bombs in a safe.

The safe was opened at Normal Police headquarters about 10:45 p.m. Thursday when the bombs were discovered, leading to the evacuation of the top floor of the police station, Chief Kent Crutcher said Friday.

The pipe bombs posed no immediate threat; they needed to be lit to explode, the chief said.

Normal vice unit detectives found three loaded pistols, four pounds of marijuana, narcotics and the safe when they executed a search warrant at an apartment in the 1400 block of Croxton Avenue in Bloomington.

Ben Steward, 28, was charged with armed violence for having a handgun while in possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana. He also is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to deliver more than 500 but less than 2,000 grams and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of Holiday Park.

The substances were pills commonly known as Ecstasy.

The Secretary of State's police bomb squad arrived at the police station about 2 a.m. Friday and detonated the bombs safely in a rural location, Crutcher said.

"We don't know the person's intent or why he possessed them," Crutcher said about the pipe bombs. "Typically, it's not uncommon to find safes" but more common contents are guns, drugs and money.

Crutcher said the Normal vice unit was conducting a drug investigation that led to Bloomington apartment, and Bloomington police were told about the case.

Normal police are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in the investigation of the bombs.